IND v ENG: Sachin Tendulkar Dissects Rishabh Pant's Falling Paddle Sweep, Says The Maverick Shot is 'Not Accidental'

Rishabh Pant getting to a seventh Test century during the first India vs England match at Headingley, Leeds was a typical Rishabh Pant performance but one of the standout shots that he played was a shot that is something of a trademark for the maverick wicketkeepet-batter - a falling paddle sweep. 

Many have marveled at the fact that Pant stays in control despite the fact that he is losing balance. However, according to Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, him falling over is no accident. 

ALSO READ | 'Wasn't Concerned by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Retiring' - Sourav Ganguly

Tendulkar Breaks Down Pant's Shot

He believes the fall helps him to scoop it better over leg slip as he is thus able to get under the ball much better than he normally would. 

"Rishabh's falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control," he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Tendulkar has often been noted for his sound reading of the game and this seems like another clever bit of analysis from the ‘Master Blaster’. 

ALSO READ | Pant Brings Out The Somersault Celebration After Nailing A Six!

India Playing Mind Games?

He also had another interesting observation from the game as he felt that Pant and Shubman Gill were indulging in some mind games with England spinner Shoaib Bashir. 

Tendulkar noted that both of them were conversing loudly in Hindi between deliveries during Bashir's spell and it was no coincidence that they were doing this, given Bashir is of Pakistani descent and would therefore understand what they were saying. 

"Also noticed something interesting during Bashir’s spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It wasn’t just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game."

It can be argued that they were successful given Bashir had a few good moments but took an almighty beating from Pant.